The Little Match Girl (Picture Puffin Books)

The Little Match Girl is one of the most meaningful Christmas stories I’ve read. I first came across this book years ago while working at Barnes & Noble during the holiday season. While stocking books, I noticed the beautiful illustrations and took a moment to read it. I ended up standing in the children’s department crying! The story is undeniably sad, but it’s also thoughtful and reflective. The illustrations in this edition are absolutely beautiful and add depth to the reading experience. This is a book that stayed with me. Ever since, I’ve made a habit of gifting it at Christmas when friends welcome new babies. Even though it isn’t a cheerful story, it encourages empathy, gratitude, and awareness in a gentle, lasting way.

Ahhh....for the storytellers of yesteryear! I have been reading the classics lately, particularly Dickens. One thing that clearly stands out is the poverty and abuse of children of that era. We have come a long way in protecting the rights of our precious children. The Little Match Girl is a sad tale, so sweetly written. It's conclusion "and now she is with God" sums up the reward awaiting her in grandma's arms in heaven. And for that Mr. Anderson gives eternal hope. Excellent story to share with your child and answer questions about our hope which is in Jesus. I purchased a kindle version and this version for my Aunt. Dawn Kurtz author of the christian novel Secret of the Mexican Doll found on kindle.

***CONTAINS SPOILER*** A must read for every reader, young or old! This is one of the most beautiful, yet heartbreaking children's books I have ever read. A poor little girl is forced to go out into the bitter-cold morning of New Year's eve to sell paper flowers and matches. She is dressed in rags and shoes that do not fit. As the day wears on, she has sold nothing and cannot return home for fear that her father will beat her for not selling her matches. Finding a corner of a building to shield her from the icy wind, evening approaches and she begins to freeze. Striking the matches one-by-one, she see's beautiful visions. But as the matches burn out, her visions disappear. Finally, her grandmother appears in one of the match-lit visions. Before she can disappear, the little girl strikes all the matches she has and begs her grandmother to take her to Heaven where there is no cold, hunger or cruel fathers. The next morning, the little match girl is discovered dead in the cold corner...wearing a soft, sweet smile on her face. The book takes only about five minutes to read, but I bought this particular hardcover edition because of the exquisite illustrations, they are truly magnificent. This will make a lovely addtion to your library and will become a cherished family heirloom!

This simple little story is an old one that I first heard many years ago. The youngster in this book is saddled with several obstacles. Child labor laws are yet to come about - her father sends her out into the world to work. The family deals with poverty and hunger. Improperly clothed, the little girl is sure to succomb to frostbite. She knows that her father will surely abuse her if she comes home empty-handed. With no way out, this youngster turns to her own rich inner life to help her transcend her impossible situation. This is the story of the power of love - the love of her own late grandmother - that sustains her as she slips into her own death. It is a lasting parable about looking within to find the resources that sustain us.

Beautiful book! Lush illustrations. However, those of you who know the story, know that it is a sad commentary on poverty and abuse. The religious aspect helps to lighten the load of this story in the end.

Andersen's fairy tale "The Little Match Girl" is very good for Christmas time: it is a fairy tale about mercy, about participating in the needs of people, helping those in need. And this little book is especially good because it is very beautiful, warm illustrations that convey the text. These illustrations will help children to present the story more realistically, to feel it, to survive. Recommend. I bought it for my grandchildren to read during Advent.

I had intended to purchase the version with illustrations by Jerald Pickney, but received a version illustrated by Kveta Pacovska - which is very different than Pickney's work. This version is probably challenging for reading to children. The illustrations by Pacovska are very abstract and probably do not do a good visualization unless you have extremely patient kids who like deconstructive interpreations. That said, the storyline itself is an already complex and depressing (but poignant) tale, so perhaps is it better to hide the atrocities of child labor in abstract pictures.

Great story. It is the kind of story that teaches your child the meaning of love. I like reading this story to the kids during the holiday season because Christmas is not all about Christmas presents it is about sacrificial love. A great story your kids they will get the message and if they don’t you can use it as a teaching tool. The illustration is fantastic (Love the illustrator works.)

Bought this book as a special present for a little girl's 6th birthday as I remember really enjoying the story as a little girl. It is just as lovely and sad as I remembered and the olde world illustration make it more real. Little girl loved it and talked about how sad it was and how lucky she is.

I had forgotten that once upon a time, children who were once loved and cherished, often had to work for their families' survival, frequently retreating into a world of their own to escape the harshness of their tiny lives. This story will wrench at your heart - all the more so when you realize this was a way of life for the poor - and sadly still is today. The illustrations are beautiful, covering the entire page, which is a joy for children to follow along when you read aloud to them, as there are so many things to see! A important look into early 20th century America. Don't miss this opportunity to share this simple story with your children - the rewards reaped will long outlast whatever electronic toys they have.

2005年はアンデルセン生誕200年にあたり、図書館や書店などで 彼の作品を多く目にしました。そんな中でも異色の存在なのが パツォウスカーの描いたこの『マッチ売りの少女』。 パツォウスカーの手にかかると、馴染みのある話しが こうも新鮮なものになってしまうとは… 本当にため息ものです。 彼女の絵は超モダンでカラフル、まるで宇宙人か、100年後の人類の落書き とでも形容できましょうか。 それなのに押し付けがましくなくて、ちゃんとストーリーを生かす 挿絵になっている。話しを説明する絵ではなく、想像力を刺激する絵 になってます。 彼女のファンはもとより、一風変わった味付けでアンデルセンを 読んでみたい方にもおすすめの作品です。

This is an awesome edition. the illustrations are so beautiful. It is a truly beautiful book to have. A must have for any library.

There are adaptations of the authentic book, read by me when I was a child. People and publishers are repelled that Hans Christian Andersen “killed off” his characters, and in children’s books, heaven forfend! As a child I related to the honesty of the book, and felt, as the Match Girl, very much like one who was on the outside looking in at happier lives which my child mind thought were reserved for Australian families. Jealous as I was that the Match Girl was permitted to leave her home and experience freedom, in that respect she touched the world. I on the other hand will leave it, never having done so. My granddaughter’s first birthday yesterday came with a collage from her parents on Instagram, a “platform” often used in the stead of books and letters. As I looked at the images of joy both brought forth and surrounding the girl-child, minus an image of myself, The Little Match Girl came rushing back in. And I was looking through the glass once more. Pain and illness has keep me from her. Yet, like our protagonist I saw aIl that is verboten, regardless of the cause, and I felt her, as I did when a child, alive inside me. I appreciate the chutzpah of the author. Far from morose, the child is finally inside, partaking of the true morsels of life at last. Children needn’t be protected from death, especially in the manner by which the author presents it here. Taboos coupled with silence are what terrify, not happily ever after endings such as this.